Section: The German Marshall Fund of the United States (USA)
Deepen Defense Cooperation with Paris
While the period of the U.S. elections has just come to an end, France is entering its own presidential elections campaign. Next spring the French people will elect a president for a country officially “at war” since 2015, and which has experienced a serious political crisis for almost a decade. The level of trust for political parties and...
Reassure Bucharest in the Black Sea
Standing at the border of the European Union and NATO, Romania is challenged not only by its internal weaknesses, many of which the country addresses successfully, but also by its proximity to and complicated relationship with Russia. A few years ago, Romania embarked on a bold anti-corruption effort that led not only to conviction of major...
Brussels at Risk for Further Destabilization
It is commonplace to claim that external shocks jolt Europe into action. There have been plenty since 2008 — external and internal — and none seem to have had that effect. It is beyond question that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election is a wake-up call. In Europe, despite its history of populist leaders and some who are...
Obama’s farewell to Merkel and Europe
On November 17, Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer was interviewed by Le Monde’s correspondent in Berlin, to discuss President Obama’s last trip to Berlin, and Obama’s legacy in Europe and transatlantic relations. She commented on the “special relationship” between Obama and Merkel during Obama’s two mandates, which she sees as...
The Partner We Need in Washington: Priorities for the New Administration
Transatlantic TakeThere can be no doubt that U.S. allies are concerned about what the presidency of Donald Trump will bring. Allies have relied upon a liberal internationalist Washington for 70 years, and unlike U.S. voters they do not want dramatic change. Less than 10 percent of Europeans would have given Donald Trump their vote, according to...
The Mutual Admiration of Trump and Putin is Illusory
Photo by Gage Skidmore On November 15th, Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer gave an interview to the French weekly L’Express. She discussed Trump’s future foreign policy. She anticipated that Trump will be willing to make “deals” with Russia and China, while making concessions, which could include recognizing Russia’s annexation of...
Moldova Elections Aren’t About Europe or Russia. They’re About Moldova.
After this week’s U.S. election, not many in the United States or Western Europe are focused on the elections that are taking place in Moldova. Those who have been following saw a fascinating political drama unfold, as Maia Sandu took 38 percent of the vote to Socialist Party’s Igor Dodon’s 48 percent in the first round of...
What Europeans Should Want From the Trump Administration
Transatlantic TakeBRUSSELS – It is commonplace to claim that external shocks jolt Europe into action. There have been plenty since 2008 — external and internal — and none seem to have had that effect. It is beyond question that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election is a wake-up call. In Europe, despite its history...
What Europeans Ought to Want From the Trump Administration
Transatlantic TakeIt is commonplace to claim that external shocks jolt Europe into action. There have been plenty since 2008 — external and internal — and none seem to have had that effect. It is beyond question that Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election is a wake-up call. In Europe, despite its history of populist...
Germany’s New Skepticism About China
Over the last decade, China and Germany have developed what Jonas Parello-Plesner and I called a “special relationship.” The basis for it was the growth of German exports, in particular automobiles and machinery, to China. This economic symbiosis led to an increasingly close political relationship – in particular, between Chancellor Angela Merkel...
